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Grand Ronde Police Station opens — pg. 17
MARCH 15, 2017
Grand Ronde preparing for totality in August
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
T
his summer, when day turns to night
around 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21, in Grand
Ronde, employees at Spirit Mountain Ca-
sino plan to be ready to witness celestial history.
When the moon passes between the Earth and
sun, a total solar eclipse will provide a momen-
tary sliver of daytime darkness from one corner
of the United States to another while guests at
the Tribe’s casino will be treating themselves to
an assortment of breakfast juices and pastries
in the narrow path of totality.
“This is something that has been on our radar
since right after I got here two years ago,” Spirit
Mountain Casino Marketing Director Shawna
Ridgebear said. “We are creating one big event
around it – one big viewing party with separation
for our VIPs.”
Ridgebear said casino staff will be serving a
continental breakfast in a roped-off area des-
ignated for high rollers. Staff will be handing
out viewing glasses to all guests throughout
the casino.
“We are in such a great viewing area,” Ridge-
bear said. “We know we are going to have a lot
of people so we definitely want to make sure
our VIPs feel special and that they are taken
care of and really enjoy it in the style that they
are accustomed to. We want to make them feel
valued as Spirit Mountain players.”
Ridgebear and Spirit Mountain Casino Gen-
eral Manager Stan Dillon said they are aware
of Oregon hotels and resorts selling out their
rooms well in advance of the solar eclipse and
that Spirit Mountain Lodge is currently prepar-
ing packages around the eclipse for its guests.
Dillon said the lodge’s booking system is not
set up to book rooms more than two months in
advance.
“One thing about our system is you can’t go
very far out because the system doesn’t allow
you to,” Dillon said.
“We haven’t sold (rooms yet) because custom-
arily we don’t sell that far out,” Ridgebear said.
“We will be making fun packages with our rooms
for people to be able to buy. We’re going to be
giving those people who haven’t had a chance to
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